lessons in politics from so
misty a professor; and when he came to tell us that the heroes of
Westminster were naught, we began to think that he had written enough.
His attack upon despatch boxes was not thought to have much in it;
but as it is short, the doctor shall again be allowed to speak his
sentiments.

Could utmost ingenuity in the management of red tape avail
anything to men lying gasping,--we may say, all but dead;
could despatch boxes with never-so-much velvet lining and
Chubb's patent be of comfort to a people _in extremis_, I
also, with so many others, would, with parched tongue, call
on the name of Lord John Russell; or, my brother, at your
advice, on Lord Aberdeen; or, my cousin, on Lord Derby, at
yours; being, with my parched tongue, indifferent to such
matters. 'Tis all one. Oh, Derby! Oh, Gladstone! Oh,
Palmerston! Oh, Lord John! Each comes running with serene
face and despatch box. Vain physicians! though there were
hosts of such, no despatch box will cure this disorder!
What! are there other doctors' new names, disciples who
have not burdened their souls with tape? Well, let us call
again. Oh, Disraeli, great oppositionist, man of the bitter
brow! or, Oh, Molesworth, great reformer, thou who promisest
Utopia. They come; each with that serene face, and each,--
alas, me! alas, my country!--each with a despatch box!

Oh, the serenity of Downing Street!

My brothers, when hope was over on the battle-field, when no
dimmest chance of victory remained, the ancient Roman could
hide his face within his toga, and die gracefully. Can you
and I do so now? If so, 'twere best for us; if not, oh my
brothers, we must die disgracefully, for hope of life and
victory I see none left to us in this world below. I for
one cannot trust much to serene face and despatch box!

There might be truth in this, there might be depth of reasoning;
but Englishmen did not see enough in the argument to induce them
to withdraw their confidence from the present arrangements of the
government, and Dr Anticant's monthly pamphlet on the decay of the
world did not receive so much attention as his earlier works. He did
not confine himself to politics in these publications, but roamed at
large over all matters of public interest, and found everything bad.
According to him nobody was true, and not only nobody, but nothing; a
man could not take